Keep Talking
by spookisapuppy
Summary: I don't know how to describe this story. It's something I wrote a long time ago. Uh... It involves Halt and Will.


_Hmm... I wrote this a really long time ago. I found it while organizing my laptop. It was in my finished stuff so I decided to put it up. _

_ I really don't remember what this was about, so allow me to read it before commenting anymore. (That's your cue to read it too.) _

* * *

The Blazers, a group of rebels and trouble makers, had been spreading chaos throughout Araluen for several months. Lately they'd taken up residence in Redmont fief. Halt, the ranger of the fief, and Will, his apprentice, had been trying to catch up with them for weeks. Eventually they did, and when they found the troublemakers' camp site they had ridden back to Castle Redmont to organize a group of soldiers to fight them off.

Normally, of course, this type of situation called for some sort of diplomatic action. But this particular group had already shown themselves to be violent, so Baron Arald didn't want to take chances. A party of knights, archers, and ordinary soldiers had quickly been assembled and set out a day after the news had been received.

Halt and Will rode slowly ahead of the main force of knights and soldiers. They were tracking the enemy, making sure that none of their forces had doubled back to attack them from behind. Suddenly, a lookout hidden somewhere in the trees shouted out to the rest of the encampment. The men of Castle Redmont could see the rebels scurrying to take up weapons and armor, such as they had. They were in the camp a few minutes later. The rebels met them with a head on rush, no tactics or plans involved. The two forces met with a clash of steel on steel. The fight had begun.

* * *

The battle didn't last very long, maybe two hours from start to finish. The rebel force had been vastly outnumbered and outclassed by the soldiers of Castle Redmont. Eventually they'd realized that fighting back was hopeless. The battle had ended in surrender. But before that happened many good men had been killed.

Will walked around the field after the battle had ended, surveying the damage and looking for Halt at the same time. They had been separated amongst all the fighting, and Will was anxious to find his master again. He looked to his left and saw something that made his heart skip a beat.

A small figure in a gray and green cloak lay sprawled on the grass, one leg bent at an unnatural angle. Will ran to the side of his fallen comrade, falling to his knees to inspect his wounds. Will was horrified at the sight. There was a huge gash across Halt's stomach, and it was bleeding heavily. Will felt the urge to gag. He'd seen worse injuries, but not on his friends, not on people he knew and cared about. Halt made a small noise and Will realized that he was still conscious. It seemed impossible, with his stomach gushing blood and a broken leg to boot. He began speaking, as much to comfort himself as the injured man.

"Halt, it's going to be okay. Don't worry. You'll be okay." He almost believed

himself, until he looked down at Halt's face. There was fear in his eyes. For the first time Will could remember, Halt was afraid. And Will couldn't take it. Tears rolled down his young face, his throat felt clogged with them. Halt was breathing slowly, great, rasping breaths. He reached up suddenly, his hand finding Will's.

"Will. Keep talking. Please." Will nodded frantically, and swallowed hard to clear his throat.

"Okay. It's beautiful here Halt, did you ever notice that? I didn't. But look atthe sky. It's so blue." _Oh God, there's so much blood._ "And the grass. Did you ever reallylook at the grass? It's nice. It's beautiful here, Halt. It's beautiful." Halt nodded, trying to focus on Will's words, and not on the pain. Will noticed the still fearful expression on his face.

"Do you remember that night I tried to sneak out? You heard me going and you said 'boy, if you think you can leave without telling me, you'd better think again' and then you pushed me out the door and made me spend all night outside." Halt smiled faintly at the memory. "It was cold out that night, I remember. But you left the fire in the living room going all night long. And you left the shutters open so I could see it. And I learned my lesson Halt, I really did, I never tried to sneak out again." Tears were flowing freely down Will's face once more. "It's going to be fine Halt. You'll be fine." Halt nodded slightly, his face gray with blood loss and pain. And Will kept speaking, babbling really, until finally, slowly, the pressure on his hand disappeared and Halt's eyes slid shut.

* * *

Will sighed and stood from the tree he'd been sitting against. It was peaceful here. In this small grove of trees by the river. Wildflowers dotted the ground, the same sort that could be found wilting in vases throughout the cabin at the edge of the trees. Will sighed again, and began the slow walk back to that very same cabin. As he walked up the steps, he found himself thinking back to that day, so many weeks ago, when he'd found himself comforting a wounded Halt. He sighed again. He reached up to the door, and gathered his courage. He would have to face it sometime or another. He pushed it open, and entered the darkened front room. A slim figure sat in one corner.

"Where have you been?" the man asked sharply.

"Nowhere."

"Well you were there for an awfully long time." Will shrugged. "Thought I'd do all the housework by myself, eh?"

"Of course not." Will said solemnly.

"Well, seeing as you're back now, would you mind making some dinner?" Will knew by now, of course, that when this man asked him if he would mind doing something, it wasn't a question, but a command.

They ate the supper in the living room, in front of the fire. There wasn't much talk between the two. There usually wasn't. Once Will had finished eating he automatically stood to take the other man's dishes, along with his own, to the small sink in the kitchen.

"I hope you'll be cleaning those up." Will sighed, and set to work cleaning the various utensils it had taken to cook and eat the meal. When he was finished he walked back into the living room and noticed that the other man was fidgeting slightly in his seat. Will walked over and reached down a hand to help the man to his feet from the armchair he was been sitting in. The man grunted with the effort. Will frowned slightly as the man looked down at his feet for a moment to gain his balance.

"Goodnight."

"Night." The other man turned slowly and made his way carefully down the hall. When he reached the door of his bedroom, he turned back.

"Will?"

Will turned around and looked at the man curiously. "Hmm?"

The man looked down at the floor for a moment, he was obviously uncomfortable. He looked back up, determined to continue. "Will, I know I've been awful to you these past few weeks, and I'd like to say sorry. It's not your fault. I'm just frustrated." Will nodded slowly. "And I just...well...I,um...Thank you."

Will smiled broadly, "You're welcome Halt."

The man returned the smile then turned back into the bedroom with the aid of the crutches in his hands.

* * *

_ Oh my God! I am such a chicken! I didn't even kill Halt. So that was an odd little story. Sorry it wasn't that good, but like I said, this was from a long time ago. So, uh, review, I suppose. :P_


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